'We can do it!' Hundreds dress up as WWII icon Rosie the Riveter

From January 1943 to August 1945, when she was 20 years old, Kay Morrison worked as a welder in a shipyard on the San Francisco Bay.

On Saturday, a day after the 70th anniversary of Japan's surrender and World War II's end, the 91-year-old was back in her old stomping grounds, dressed in all-blue coveralls, work boots, red socks and a red bandanna with polka-dots.

This time, she was surrounded by more than 1,000 women of all ages dressed exactly the same, dancing and raising their fists together in the sun. They'd just tentatively broken the Guinness World Record for most Rosies in one place since WWII.

"You're in my yard! I'm just thrilled!" the Fairfield, Calif., resident beamed. "Women are incredible. We can do anything, anywhere, any time. I'm so proud.

"Seventy years ago! I don't know where time went! I was at work and news (that the Japanese had surrendered) came over the loudspeaker. It was just so wonderful, more than wonderful. It was a miracle," Morrison said, recalling Aug. 14, 1945.

The gathering of the Rosies at the Rosie the Riveter World War II Home Front National Historical Park in Richmond, Calif., broke the previous record of 776 Rosies in Ypsilanti, Mich., last year. Guinness must still review and authenticate the headcount.

"This is not just about women. It's about celebrating the men and women on the home front who planted the seeds for huge social movements," said Marsha Mather-Thrift, executive director of the Rosie the Riveter Trust.

She said they planned the event within six weeks and news spread via social media, local media and members of the trust.

"Now is the time to pay it forward and capture histories while we can, and honor people who overcame enormous obstacles on the home front," she said.

The event also included the unveiling of a Rosie statue by Seward Johnson ("Unconditional Summer"), a jaunty performance by the '40s-style trio The Swingin' Blue Stars of the USS Hornet, and a speech by Elinor Otto, who retired from Boeing in 2015 at the age of 95, giving her the title of the "last Rosie the Riveter."

"I wish my mom was still here," said Virginia Frederick, 61, of Richmond, who attended the rally with her daughter, who is in her 20s. "My mom remembered the war so deeply — the rationing, sending letters to friends who would come back dead. This is about remembering the hardship on the home front and everyone who helped."